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Red card for TFC fans’ behaviour

CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt confronts Shawn Simoes and several other men after they shouted a vulgar phrase into her microphone while she was broadcasting from Sunday's TFC game from Toronto's BMO Field. (From CitytvNews)

Sat., May 16, 2015

Re: Vulgar, sexist rant costs man his job, May 13

Vulgar, sexist rant costs man his job, May 13

Two thumbs up for Hydro One. Terminating the employment of someone taunting a woman with such misogynistic obscenities is a no-brainer. No company would want that individual as one of its representatives. And kudos to Laurier for the immediate press release that the university “is deeply disappointed that Laurier alumnae were associated with this incident.”

Is this yet another example of the warped machismo mentality prevalent on so many Canadian campuses? Those smirking Neanderthals who harassed reporter Shauna Hunt are no different from those wannabe lotharios who would find hilarity in the chant, “No! means Yes!”

As Star columnist Catherine Porter laments, “many men in Toronto find entertainment in verbally raping women.” Now, where are those vocal parents complaining about a new sex-ed curriculum? Sadly, what was taught, or perhaps what wasn’t taught during the past decades, has resulted in incidents like this being viewed by too many men as nothing more than jovial male humour, a “guy thing.”

One: Quite a few people have either used or giggled at the term “douchebag.” But think of its origin and ask yourself how respected women feel when it’s flung about. Then go ahead and cast the first stone if you’ve never said something asinine that felt OK because everyone else was saying it, too.

Two: Let the punishment fit the crime. Losing your livelihood and having life as you knew it dismantled — overnight and without due process — is harsh. How will we punish those who commit far worse crimes — nail them to a literal cross?

Better we all learn something from a dreadful mistake. Hydro One could reinstate Shawn Simoes, assist him in speaking widely about his mistake to other young men, to schoolchildren, to bullies, and score some points on sensible HR and PR.

Simoes could write and talk and think about why this happened to him and grow emotionally and intellectually. And my hometown of Toronto could establish itself as the place where a helpful response to viral hazing was first tried.

Helen Metella, Edmonton

Add my name to the throngs of us who apologize to Shauna for some men’s public behaviour and bravo to her for directly confronting it. The bigger societal question is why this crass acronym FHRITP even exists in the english world. What are these people thinking? They are on broadcast TV. Apparently at least one in this case was an engineer.

Is it supposed to be funny? Funny because it’s so shocking? Is it a puerile dare from one little boy inciting a crowd? Shameless sexism? Misogyny? Machismo?

Whatever it is, the FHRITP assault is very prevalent, but even more baffling because the majority of men are baffled by it.

Cheers to Shauna Hunt for electrifying the conversation.

Peter Keleghan, Toronto

As a high school student, I think what these men were doing is inappropriate and demeaning toward women. Not only is it rude that they are shouting that particular phrase, but the fact that they grab reporters’ microphones on live television is also appalling.

If men have a problem with women, they should remember that their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters are also women, and think about how they would feel if this phrase was said to their face. It is insulting to think of women and speak of women that way, especially on live TV.

I don’t know how this act became popular, but I do think that it should stop. Women are working so hard to make better lives for themselves and for their families, and stunts like this just tell them that all that work is not appreciated and that they are not appreciated, and that they are just being objectified and used for their bodies.

Maybe some women find tricks like these funny, but I find it disgusting, and it is giving men an even worse reputation than they have right now.

Rachel Van Bakel, Sebringville

I do not know whether these men are trying to assert their masculinity, or if they are just trying to express themselves in a negative way. But they act as if screaming this ugly phrase will make them seem more important or empowered.

When taking into consideration the intoxication level of these fans, you can’t blame them for being slightly rowdy. Although, people watching the live stream from home, including myself, are absolutely offended and disgusted by the way some men choose to conduct themselves in public. Attempting to set all sexism aside, this problem seems to root from an all male source.

As a male high school student, I believe the male population needs to be informed of the necessity to cease this ugly phrase. I believe that Shauna Hunt did a very wonderful thing, calling out the immaturity of the men and challenging them. It was very refreshing to see a woman who is highly respected, confront and stand up to the ignorant men. It just goes to show how some men believe themselves to be on top of the world, even though we all know how false that statement really is.

The male population cannot go on downgrading women at such extremes. If we want to change as a whole, we as men must try to prevent the vulgarity of the minority to save the image and respect of our majority.

Brady Lauze, Stratford

It’s really unbelievable that adults consider such moronic behaviour acceptable. Who do they think they are that they are entitled to do such a thing? It’s speaks volumes about the Neanderthal attitudes of so many “sports fans” these days. Just because there are so many such jerks in England, is no reason to act like such idiots here.

Grow up guys! Your attitudes and actions are disgusting.

James Knott, Mississauga

A reporter, trying to do her job, receives foul verbal abuse from local soccer supporters. A video of the incident garners international attention and is viewed, and commented on, countless times. The wrongdoers speedily receive public censure and ridicule, loss of employment, and may face criminal charges.

In another incident, a young man, walking the street, is stopped and unjustifiably questioned, beaten and tormented by the police, according to a recent court ruling. The event receives scant public attention. There are, seemingly, no penalties for those involved, their actions being found reasonable by the employer’s investigative agent.

It seems we need to amend that early childhood adage: Words can break your bones, but sticks and stones can’t hurt you.

Mike Brown, Burlington

This story shows what a rush to judgment these stories of gender-based bullying now generate. The unwieldy FHRITP belongs in the same pornography-induced world that produced the term MILF and that makes dirty other innocuous terms, like the word “facial.”

As writer Pamela Paul put it, we live in a pornified society. The behaviour of individual men and men in groups is affected by it. Yet, there is also a sense of misplaced worries here.

My own concerns regarding violence against women focus more on what Stephen Harper and his men are doing to our gun laws, and about this, our newspapers have been far too silent. SHRITH (shoot her right in the head) is what took place, or may well have taken place, (the RCMP is being secretive on the guns issue in the former incident) in two multi-site, multi-victim murder/suicides, the first in Tisdale, Sask., involvoing the murder of Latasha Gosling and her children, and the second in Langley, Alta., where a father shot to death his daughter, his wife and his sister before shooting himself.

Sadly, we have grown used to such horror stories taking place in the United States, but Harper and his misnamed Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney are ensuring that more of this kind of ultimate bullying will take place here in Canada. C-42’s unconscionable offer of six-momnth amnesties to gun owners who fail to renew their gun licenses has, in fact, been federal practice now for seven years. That it should become the law of our land is an unspeakable example of a government that has adopted the NRA’s (and their poor cousin the Canadian Firearms Association) dreamy denial about the need for effective gun control, like the kind we used to have before Vic Toews destroyed public data.

Ron Charach, Toronto

Venay Menon seems almost apologetic about the treatment of the vulgar spewing cretins of BMO field. He seems to be suggesting that the poor creatures were misled and that CityNews was faking the incident in order to somehow destroy the original YouTube video, which should be destroyed.

Your editorial makes the saner suggestion that “sexual harassment is no joke” and “women are right to fight abuse on the job and everywhere else.” It goes on to rightly say that all of us should be involved in the fight — not just women, but men too.

The harsher the penalty these men get the better as far as I’m concerned. Losing a six-figure salary is fair enough. I have heard no apology, no consideration that the men involved did something not only stupid, but mean, nasty and anti-social. One wonders what the mother who would “die laughing” has to say.

If I were the parent, I would be dying of embarrassment. Our entire society should be dying of embarrassment. This is a societal issue and must be addressed as such until we can obliterate this kind of bullying and misogynistic behavior altogether.

Stephen L. Bloom, Toronto

An indefinite suspension from MLSE grounds is an appropriate punishment for the men who harassed Shauna Hunt at the TFC match. However I don’t agree with Hydro One firing Shawn Simoes. First of all the punishment is too harsh. Second I don’t like the precedent.

Does the Hydro One code of conduct apply to employees who are off the clock; off company property and in no way representing their employer? I don’t think any employer should have the right to extend their code of conduct that far.

Dave Keeley, Mississauga

One thing that must be kept in mind when discussing the Shauna Hunt video is that every word spoken by every person in the video is protected free speech under international human rights law and Canadian law. There were words and phrases used in the video that are objectionable to most Canadians but the people who made these statement had the legal right, under Canadian law, to make these statements.

The idea that Canadians do not have strong legal protections for freedom of expression is a media myth. Canadian free speech protections are set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This raises a troubling question that the labour law experts quoted in the media are not considering: Can a company’s code of conduct prohibit an employee from exercising his or her inalienable human rights while not at their place of employment?

If they can, then some Canadians are being denied one of their most basic human rights and our government has a moral and a legal duty, under the above mentioned covenant, to ensure that all the human rights of all the people in Canada are protected all the time.

Sid Knowles, Mississauga

How quickly did we forget the dentistry students at Dalhousie, and the fact that they will end up graduating into a profession of their choice? The Hydro One employee who made vulgar comments deserves to have lost his job. So does anyone else who hopes that their “commentary” will make it into the public realm. Each of these two scenarios is equally disgusting. One institution was just more proactive about it.

Jacqueline Canton, Toronto

I can’t believe all the hoopla over the idiots who shouted vulgarities at the CityNews reporter. Was it a stupid thing to do? Yes. Should they have done it? No it’s rude and disgusting. Should the culprits be fired from their jobs? No.

If what they did constitutes a crime, then charge them accordingly and have the punishment fit the crime. A suitable punishment may be a substantial fine or having them volunteer at a shelter or rape crisis center.

All this mass public shaming/bullying is probably sufficient punishment in itself. If everyone who said something stupid, or made rude remarks was fired, the world would be filled with more and more unemployed idiots who we’d need to support via the welfare system.

We would also put the majority of comedians and radio disc-jockeys out of work.

J. Ferguson, Milton

Does Hydro One have the right to fire Shawn Simoes? Absolutely Not, and I hope he sues the pants off of Hydro One.

He may be a drunk idiot but I don’t see any connection whatsoever to Hydro One?

Political correctness insanity in a bubble-wrapped world.

Ronald McIsaac, Saint John, NB

Anyone of goodwill is appalled by the behaviour of Shawn Simoes. We all need to support the efforts to end bullying and verbal abuse. But we all should also be appalled at someone being fired for this offensive behaviour. It is a “cut off the thief’s hands” policy. Using the media to inform the employer of the offense outside the workplace is the equivalent of a lynch mob mentality. Shawn Simoes has been tried and convicted.

In the courts, in school, in our employment, the punishment should fit the crime. This punishment is cruel and unusual punishment. Such behaviour should be addressed by the police and the resulting punishment should be the end of the story.

We have to ask if the employer should be involved at all. If so, surely it should be in a constructive helpful way, not ruining his life.

Joseph Polito, Toronto

While I certainly do not condone rude behaviour, I wonder where this will end. Will anybody who is guilty of road rage be fired? What about parents who hurl abuse at hockey refs, will they be fired?

If saying bad things is grounds for dismissal then speeding or running a red light, where somebody’s life is actually endangered, should be grounds for dismissal. And how will anybody fired for any of these reasons find another job? On that basis I see a lot of people on welfare forever.

Perhaps remedial behaviour training would be a better option.

S. I. Petersen, Nanaimo, B.C.

Kudos to Shauna Hunt for outing those dolts. Apart from their disrespect to women, this also is part of a larger trend of rudeness. People who talk loudly all through movies and concerts need to be confronted too. Some of these people remind me of 3-year olds saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” It’s time for them to grow up.

Mike Allen, Burlington

On the front page of my Toronto Star there was a photo Shauna Hunt, a female reporter for CITY TV, and young man named Shawn, who has recently lost his job because of something that came out of his mouth before he checked with his brain. After reading this article, I could not stop thinking about another young man, back 70 years ago, whom I call dad.

He, like Shawn, was a handsome young man who loved sports. Hockey Night in Canada was a compulsory Saturday evening activity with my dad and my sisters. We lived on Lake Huron, so in the summer time we biked, we swam, and we barbecued supper in Canatara Park. Every evening we roller-skated at Rose Gardens. Sometimes we played baseball, out on the street with all of our friends, guys and gals together.

As a teenager, I remember my dad telling a friend of his; “I’m not raising girls; I’m raising young, educated women who will get a job that they like!” We never discussed boyfriends at the supper table but once, every two years, we did discuss dad’s new car.

I never understood the importance of this event until one summer, when dad had promised me the car to drive to UWO to a meeting with the Purple Spur (student council). The new car arrived that August day and, just as he was grabbing the keys and running out the door, my mom called: “Tom, don’t forget that you promised Marilyn the car this afternoon.”

I remember his look. It was that of an unhappy boy or injured puppy. But he never raised his voice, or said anything hurtful to the women in his life. He was a very gentle man.

So, what’s the matter with Shawn? His mom should wash his mouth out with soap and send him to his room.

Marilyn J. Shanoff, Toronto

Bravo to Hydro One for the quick response to one of the morons shouting obscenity to CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt after TFC game. Anyone who has one ounce of self respect would not be so crass and vulgar to someone else, and to do so on air is disgusting to say the least.

All employers seeing one of their employees doing so should follow Hydro One’s leadership and have a similar code of conduct.

Bravo to Ms Hunt for being so diplomatic in her response, as I know some who would not have been so restrained.

J. Lacasse, Sudbury

How has this become socially acceptable? May 13

I tossed down my paper in disgust after reading Catherine Porter’s preposterous and frankly bigoted statement that “many men in Toronto find entertainment in verbally raping women” based on the fact that nobody came so Shauna Hunt’s rescue.

Has Porter been to a TFC game? Or even been in a crowd of people before? Despite the music, noise and general ruckus, she presumes that this conversation was somehow audible to all those surrounding, and the lack of intervention indicates support of rape. Women attend TFC games too. Why didn’t any women speak up?

This is also the kind of broad and offensive statement a man could never write about women. Shame on the Star for okaying it, and for Porter, who ironically just debases the conversation by adding more dumb sexism into the mix.

Tyler Morrissey, Toronto

Perhaps the threat of being fired from one’s job is an excellent incentive to act appropriately.

Douglas Cornish, Ottawa

Shauna had every right to confront those men, as their crude words were not only degrading to her, but to everyone tuned in. The men felt the need to defend their actions, trying to make light of the situation, but unable to accept that the words were degrading to women. The phrase yelled into her microphone presents women as sexual objects, only good for sex.

As a high school student, it’s appalling that grown men would even think that would be acceptable behaviour. Their excuses were insubstantial and plain idiotic. Making reporters uncomfortable for a laugh is a ridiculous goal that achieves nothing but an annoyed view at the men behaving so moronic.

Julia Spina, Stratford

Green Party leader Elizabeth May, a few days ago, insulted the whole federal cabinet. Later, she apologized blaming sleep deprivation, and all is cool.

A soccer shmuck insults a woman (probably hyped up on after-game adrenaline or booze) and he loses his job.

Amazing because Hydro One has a record of refusing to fire dozens of their own thieves who robbed Ontario taxpayers while on the job. Heck, Hydro One gave some of them generous parting bonuses when they left.

Considering the way they’ve conducted themselves, does Ontario Hydro have the moral authority to fire a rude person who crosses the line on his day off ?

Lou D’Amore, Toronto

In one misogynistic minute, that FHRITP “prankster” has brought shame to not only Hydro One (which does just fine on its own behalf, thank you) but to himself, his family, university grads, engineers, the City of Toronto, Toronto sports fans, Toronto FC, all men, a whole country and, specifically, to his mother (if she still claims relationship to him).

He should run for mayor of Toronto. Ask him if he has ever smoked crack. Why has he not been charged with espousing hatred or assault, at the very least?

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